spring pruning

imabelieverinjcApril 8, 2014

I planted a royal purple smoke bush and another variety of the smoke bush last spring...(cant remember the name but it has larger leaves and no flowers). Just wondering if I should cut them down to 2" now (mid April) or should I leave them go another year? Also, will I get a substantial growth by Aug as I am hosting a wedding and want to be sure they come back!

I hope you mean 2 feet and not 2 inches - that's a bit severe even for coppicing a smoke bush!! If you intend to coppice, the best time to do so is when the stems start pushing buds - right about now. And deciding to do so now or wait until next year depends on how big they are......I would be reluctant to prune a large smokebush down to 2'. Better to start while still small and not take it back too much at once.

And yes, they should look fine by August, if not hugely tall :-) btw, coppicing your smoke bushes routinely each year will eliminate the "smoke"/flowers but will enhance the foliage both in color and in size.